1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to stringed musical instruments, particularly guitars, and, more particularly, primarily guitars having tremolo devices, that is, devices for rapidly changing the string tension so as to produce a tremulous tone effect.
2. Prior Art
At the soundboard or body end portion of a guitar, the guitar strings are anchored to a bridge which, in some guitars, can be manually reciprocated or oscillated relative to the guitar body so as to change the string tension and produce a tremulous tone effect. Without intentionally moving the bridge relative to the guitar body, a skilled musician can force a single string transversely of the neck of the guitar so as to alter the string tension, but for a guitar fitted with a conventional tremolo device, altering the tension of one string in this manner may cause movement of the bridge which changes the tensions of all of the other strings.
Additional problems with known guitars fitted with tremolo devices are that there is high friction between the movable bridge and the guitar body so that the bridge may not always return to precisely the same position, and the bridge plate is pivoted along an axis a substantial distance forward of the saddle members over which the guitar strings pass. As the bridge plate is pivoted the height of the strings above the guitar body changes substantially which, particularly for electric guitars having a pickup below the strings, is undesirable.
A further problem with known guitars whether or not fitted with tremolo devices is that the mechanism provided for adjusting the longitudinal position of the individual bridge saddles over which the guitar strings extend is complicated or inconvenient, as is any mechanism provided for adjusting the height of the individual saddles.